Automatic regulator for electric currents.



No. 630,953. Patented Aug. 15, I899.

A. VOGT. AUTOMATIC REGULATOR FOR ELECTRIC CURRENTS.

(Applicationfiled Kay 8, 1899.)

(No Model.)

m: roams PETERS co. mmu'mu. wunluarorn n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLF VOGT, OF BUDA-PESTH, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, ASSIGNOR TO FRITZ BACK, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC REGULATOR FOR ELECTRIC CURRENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,953, dated August 15, 1899.

Application filed May 8, 1899. Serial No. 716,007. (No model.)

T0 to whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADOLF VOGT, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Buda-Pesth, in the Kingdom of Hungary, in the Empire of Austria-I-Iungary, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Regulators for Electric Ourrents; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters and figures of reference'marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a device for automatically regulating electric currents, so as to keep them as constant as possible between certain limits when the pressure at the central station fluctuates or that of the accumulators or the like falls off. For this purpose the resistance of one or more wires included in the circuit and capableot having their temperature considerably raised by the current is automatically Varied, so that there is a minimum fluctuation of current strength. This variation is effected either directly by the rise of temperature of the wire or wires or indirectly by the increase of their length brought about by their rise of temperature. Examples of such a device are shown in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 represents two slightly-inclined strips m m, arranged opposite to each other and suitably fastened at a n. These strips are preferably flexible and springy, and over them is laid a wire h of the kind referred to above, which is made fast at r and capable of being stretched as may be required by the screw 8. The diameter of the wire must be chosen to suit the current which is to be regulated. This wire is acted upon by a spring f or a weight at that part where it crosses the space between the strips m on, so that the wire may be separated from the strips in the case shown in Fig. l by being raised. \Vhen the change of resistance is eilected directly by the rise of temperature of the wire, the leads p 19' may be connected either with the points of attachment of the wire 1" and s or with screws 0 0', which are connected by conductors with r and s. The strips m m consist in this case of an electrically-non-conducting material, such as enameled sheet metal, so that they cool the parts of the wire in contact with them. Then no current is passing or the wire is not in circuit, the latter has the position 1, in which it lies along the whole length of the strips m m. If new a normal current subject to a minimum current necessary for working an incandescent lamp or other apparatus passes through the leads, the wire becomes warm and expands and the spring f draws it away from the strips m m into the position 2. If the cur rent increases, the wire assumes the position 3 and finally position 4. So far as the wire is in contact with the strips m m its temperature rises only inconsiderably and its length changes at these parts only to a Very slight extent. That portion of the wire which is free from the strips, however, suffers a considerable rise of temperature and expansion and its resistance is increased directly through its rise of temperature. \Vhen the change of resistance is to be effected chiefly by the change of length of the wire that is to say, as an after effect of the rise of temperature-the strips m m are made of an electrically conducting material, such as sheet-copper, which may be silvered on that side on which the wire lies to secure a good contact between the wire and the strips. The leads p p are connected with the strips by the screws 0 o. lVhen the device is out of circuit, the Wire is in position 1. \Vhen a current of normal strength corresponding with the minimum resistance is passing, the wire has position 2 and by an increase of current rises to positions 3 and 4. The current in this case will flow through the wire only where this is not in contact with the strips m m, and the change of resistance is effected principally through the change of length of the portion of the wire which for the time being is included in the current. So far as the wire lies upon the strips the current passes through these, since they are the better cond uctors. The sensitiveness of the regulating device may be varied on the one hand by Varying the inclination of the strips m m and on the other hand by Varying their curvature.

Instead of a single wire several may be I stretched along the strips and a lifting (or depressing) device may be used for each or one for the lot.

Figs. 2 and 3 show modifications which render it possible to comprise an arrangement requisite for a large change of resistance in a small space. In Fig. 2 the strips m m are wound with an insulated wire 7o, which is stripped of its covering on the line along which the resistance-wire lies. The leads 1) p are connected at 0 0 with the ends of the coils. hen the resistance-wire is in position 1, the current passes directly through the wire from 0 to 0' without flowing through the coils 7t. \Vhen the wire it expands by rise of temperature and is proportionally pressed upward by the spring f, it finally arrives at the position 4:. The current now passes through p to 0, through the whole coil on the strip m as far as a, through the whole length of the resistance-wire to n, and finally through the whole coil on m to o and p. In the intermediate positions 2 and 3 the wire it is free from contact with a certain number of the turns of coil 7t and the current passes through this portion. The difference between the current strength transmitted in positions 2 and at can be made as small as may be desired by changing the inclination of the strips toward each other. As shown in Fig. 3, the strips on m may be omitted and the resistance-wire 7t, kept in tension by the spring f, may be laid directly across the coils 75, which in this case may be stretched between two series of fixed points, as in the usual wire resistances, and may be connected at o o with wires 19 p. The working of the apparatus is the same as that described in connection with Fig. 5..

I claim- 1. An electrical regulator comprising two converging planes, a thermal wire laid thereon, means for including said wire in an electric circuit, and means acting upon the thermal wire at the point where it bridges the proximate edges of said planes to move said wire as it expands under the action of heat away from the planes, for the purpose set forth.

2. An electrical regulator, comprising two converging planes of a conductive material, an insulated conductor wound about each of said planes, a thermal wire laid upon bared portions of the windings of each conductor, means for including one terminal of said windings in an electric circuit, and means acting upon the thermal wire at the point where it bridges the proximate edges of the planes to move said wire as it expands under the action of heat, away from said planes, for the purpose set forth.

3. An electrical regulator comprising two converging planes, a thermal wire laid thereon, means for maintaining the same normally in contact with the planes, means for including the wire in an electric circuit, and means acting upon the wire at the point where it bridges the proximate edges of the planes to move said wire as it expands under the action of heat, away from said planes, for the purpose set forth.

a. An electrical regulator comprising two converging planes of a conductive material, an insulated conductor wound about each of said planes, a thermal wire laid upon bared portions of the windings of each conductor, means for maintaining the wire normally in contact with said bared portions, means for including one terminal of said windings in an electric circuit, and means acting upon the thermal wire at the point where it bridges the proximate edges of the planes to move said wire as it expands under the action of heat, away from said planes, for the purpose set forth.

5. The method of regulating electric currents, which consists in automatically vary-- ing the length of a resistance included in an electric circuit, by automatically varying its temperature by the action of an electric current flowing through said circuit, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ADOLF YOGT.

Witnesses:

OLIvER DUNARE, GERALD Lxvrox SMITH. 

